Spanish Harlem Orchestra Presents a new CD, Across 110th Street

Spanish Harlem Orchestra – Across 110th StreetNew York, USA – Latin music label Libertad Records released the Spanish Harlem Orchestra’snew CD, Across 110th Street.
The second CD released by the world-renowned Latin dance band features salsa legend Rubén Blades.

Founded by Aaron Luis Levinson in 2000, and directed by Oscar Hernández, the 13 member Spanish Harlem Orchestra covers classic Latin music as well as introducing original music. Its first CD, released in 2002, garnered the best New Artist Award at the 2003 Billboard Latin Music Awards and was nominated for a Grammy in 2002 for Best Salsa Album of the Year.

Classics such as “Bailadores” and “Como Lo Canto Yo” have been rearranged and orchestrated to blend in with original compositions written by band members Ray De La Paz and Oscar Hernández, and one outside contribution from talented new songwriter Ray Viera.<
"This was an excellent opportunity to record some great music with a great band, and my good friend Oscar Hernández”, said Ruben Blades. “The Spanish Harlem Orchestra plays with the swing that epitomizes what this music is about.”<
“Working on this album with Rubén and Oscar was simply an extraordinary experience,” said
Levinson. “With blistering performances by every member of the band,“Across 110th Street” exemplifies the virtuosity, groove and sophistication that are at the core of this music. When I heard the playback of the first take of the first song it was plainly obvious
that we were getting something that was going to take off like a hurricane out of Spanish Harlem!”

Across 110th Streetfeatures four performances by Rubén Blades as well as classic renditions of salsa songs by newcomers Willie Torres and Marco Bermudez. The CD also highlights the vocal styling of original Spanish Harlem Orchestra member and salsa pioneer Ray De La Paz, trombonist Jimmy Bosch and bassman Rubén Rodriguez.

The album’s 13 songs were recorded live in the studio, without overdubs or digital effects. “The sonic signature is fat and round, and cannot be confused with the assembly-line digital methods used by most studios today,” said Levinson.

Author: Angel Romero

Angel Romero y Ruiz has been writing about world music and progressive music for many years. He founded the websites worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. Angel produced several specials for Metropolis (TVE) and co-produced “Musica NA”, a music show for Televisión Española (TVE) in Spain that featured an eclectic mix of world music, fusion, electronica, new age and contemporary classical music. Angel also produced and remastered world music and electronic music albums, compilations and boxed sets for Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Music of the World, Lektronic Soundscapes, and Mindchild Records. Angel is currently based in Durham, North Carolina.